22 replies to this topic

[ShawnMR]

http://www.boxoffice...r-wars-takeover

Never say never, but let's be honest with ourselves here. History points to the future Star Wars: Episode VII director likely being less of a brand name than those guys are. Nolan wasn't a household name when Warner Bros. selected him for Batman Begins. Abrams was familiar to audiences before Star Trek but primarily as a successful television producer and not a blockbuster filmmaker (yet, at the time). Ditto for Whedon before The Avengers. That fact doesn't apply to just those guys, but can similarly be said of Marc Webb before taking over the multi-billion dollar Spider-Man franchise this year, or Rob Marshall when chosen to carry on Disney's Pirates franchise with On Stranger Tides.

In other words, how often does a brand name director ever end up taking over franchise after their career has been firmly established? Very rarely. How often do guys make names for themselves by taking over a big franchise? Pretty often.

We all have our directorial wish lists for anticipated films, but the Boxoffice.com team is preparing for more likely, less established candidates. (And, because we're human too, one or two pipe dreams.) Some of our favorites include:

Edited by ShawnMR, 01 November 2012 - 03:39 PM.

[CloneWars]

Interesting list. You forgot Verbinski and Raimi. Raimi is with Disny and has Oz coming out in March. He has proven himself with big films and after Spidey 3 this is a way to redeem himself. Same for Verbinski.

[Irastev]

Drew Goddard. Directed one film, but a well-received one. Wrote for JJ Abrams and Steven Spielberg.

[fishnets]

I must say I`m highly disappointed with this list. It`s titled unconventional choices yet it has boring, safe and past their prime PJ and Spielberg on it. Also, why are Nolan, Abrams and Whedon dismissed on the basis of having their own franchises but PJ isn`t? I mena, isn`t he going to be busy filming "important" made-up and Appendices stuff and post-prod TH while SW7 is prepping and maybe even filming? Now I get that SW gig would save his sagging career that cannot support itself without Tolkien but lets be real. This is scheduling conflict and he is a boring choice that can`t do a decent movie that isn`t about Middle Earth anymore. Not that the next ME one looks decent. It doesn`t. So this miniLucas is anything but unconventional.

Also, Bird, Johnson, Blomcamp are conventional because they already have sci fi experience and Bird and Blomcamp delivered blockbusters. OTOH, Lucas made SW off teen classic American Graffiti while sci fi king Cameron hit it beyond big with a traditional melodrama. Now those were more unconventional choices for their biggest movies.

No guts, no glory,folks. Risk. Lets see some Affleck (no geek movie yet), Serkis (second unit on TH but no movie of his own yet), Slade (who delivered the only good Twi movie), Josh Trank (Cronicle >>>>>>>>>>> Looper and Trank >>>>>>>>>> Johnson), Jonah Nolan (he was in the running for MoS).

Edited by fishnets, 01 November 2012 - 06:10 PM.

[JackO]

Neil Blomkamp and Duncan Jones. That would be pretty damned great.

[fishnets]

Duncan Jones directed what? never heard of him.

Also, to all Jacksonites trying to gang-prss Disney into giving PJ the gig, do you really want Boyens bullshit about feminine energy as if she invented it in SW and do you relaly want this stupid cow in a stupid cameo in every movie:



Fuckin NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Edited by fishnets, 01 November 2012 - 07:01 PM.

[Dining on Crow on Krypton™]

I personally like Spielberg as the best possible transition. He also has little loyalty to one studio other than his. He also helped with a few parts of ROTS, which was easily the best of the prequels. Ford would also probably come along for the ride(at least the first film anyway). But what Spielberg is not, is a writer/director like Lucas, so they would need to find a writer that would make a damn good Star Wars film. What about Lawrence Kasdan? Who helped write arguably the best Star Wars film: ESB?(He also helped write ROTJ as well). Caveat with him is that he may have lost "it". His last few efforts have been...barely mediocre. Maybe he just needs to be back with Lucas/Spielberg to get the old juices flowing?

I dunno, I'm probably just waxing nostalgic with this one.

Of the more realistic choices, I like Bird and interestingly enough, Branagh(I think he could make a damn good Space "Opera").

[lab276]

Duncan Jones directed what? never heard of him.

Never heard of Source Code?

[Michael Gary Scott]

He also directed moon a vastly underrated film

[Dining on Crow on Krypton™]

Never heard of Source Code?

Great movie until the contrived happy ending. I had such high hopes for it until that. But I hate most completely happy endings, so...

[Spaghetti]

I'm really liking the idea of Duncan Jones, now.

[fishnets]

Oh, Moon and Source Code? Gets my vote.

[Jim Shorts]

James Cameron + Star Wars = 1 billion domestic/5 billion WW. Truth.

[Jack Nevada]

To be honest, I have zero idea who would be a good director for the movie

[fishnets]

To be honest, I have zero idea who would be a good director for the movie

Very old directors won`t because they are losing the touch with new generations. Also, skip directors with franchises because they think in terms of brand and that kills creativity. SW is a brand but it needs injection of freshness that won`t be found among film-makers who churn out over 3 movies from the same series.

[ShawnMR]

Bird is definitely my leading contender, one reason he was on my short-list of 3 choices for the article.

[Neo]

You got Bay with Transformers.

[Neo]

James Cameron + Star Wars = 1 billion domestic/5 billion WW. Truth.

#1 choice, but won't happen. I wouldn't mind Cameron putting Avatar 2 on hold for SW7.

[ShawnMR]

Cameron and Bay wouldn't be very unconventional, though. And neither will ever happen.

[tribefan695]

I wouldn't say Bird, Jackson, or Spielberg are unconventional either